PBA: Stockton, Arana join hands to help Converge edge Magnolia

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

The star duo of Alec Stockton and Justin Arana stepped up when the Converge FiberXers needed them the most after spearheading their epic comeback victory over the Magnolia Hotshots Chicken Timplados, 93-91, in the ongoing PBA Commissioner’s Cup on December 1, 2024.

Down by as much as 20 points in the game, the FiberXers flipped the switch in the fourth quarter and slowly picked the Chicken Timplados apart with their timely defensive stops and crucial buckets.

Stockton kicked off his heroics after converting a fast break layup in the final 2:55 of the game that trimmed their deficit to just four points, 89-85.

However, Magnolia answered with a quick bucket courtesy of a Mark Barroca looping scooper to retake control of the ball game.

With time not on their side anymore as they again are chasing a six-point deficit, Converge’s reinforcement Cheick Diallo took matters into his own hands and completed a foul-counted play to turn the affair into a single-possession ball game.

The FiberXers then successfully defended Magnolia’s offensive execution and hurried to get up for a shot as the clock ticked to the final 49 seconds.

When the ball touched Stockton’s hands, the uprising floor general didn’t hesitate to pull up from the three-point arc and stunned the Chicken Timplados after equalizing the game at 91-all.

From that moment, the Chicken Timplados failed to score a bucket in the remaining 43 seconds of the game and could only watch Arana drain the game-winning basket in the paint assisted by no other than Stockton.

Following another stop, the FiberXers ran a decoy set play for Diallo but Stockton wisely shifted to the other side and forced Magnolia’s Zavier Lucero to show a hard help.

As a result of the late help defense, Arana freed himself in the dunker’s spot and received the pocket assist from Stockton who was efficient in the whole fourth frame.

“This is what makes players, a grind-out win like this, toe-to-toe, chess match, running the system on both ends of the floor, and believing in the system even if you’re facing a 20-point deficit,” said Converge head coach Franco Atienza after the huge win.

Arana was the money man for the FiberXers as the crafty big man churned out 24 points and seven rebounds, while Stockton added 18 markers, 10 assists, and seven boards.

Diallo, who reached 40 points during their last game against Hong Kong, was limited to just 10 points, his lowest-scoring in the import-lace conference so far, but made it up with three much-needed points in the fourth alongside his 16 rebounds.

“It’s a good win for a young franchise like us, for a young team like us. Because this is what makes ballers,” added Atienza.